February 10th 2008

The Police Investigation

The police have still not declared Luke's case as inactive and as promised by the Detective in charge, if new leads came in they would be followed up. True to his word this was the case in January. On New Years Eve, I made another appeal for information about Luke on GMTV, a viewer called the charity Missing People saying she had seen someone who resembled Luke in Commercial Road, near Liverpool Street, London. This information was passed onto the police and it was followed up at the end of January. Three other people said they saw someone who looked like Luke in the Whitechapel area of London at the beginning of the year, but he had changed considerably to the photo they were shown. Unfortunately there was no CCTV footage. The police in that area are aware of the possible sighting of Luke and have been given photos. I keep an open mind and will go back to London this week to put up posters around that area.

CAMPAIGN NEWS

It is 21 months since Luke has been missing, as many of you may know, it was Luke’s 21st birthday on December 4th. The day was very sad and I could not help but have hope, that just maybe he would call or try and contact us in some way…..Needless to say this did not happen.

When I first reported Luke missing, I was completely unprepared for the months that have unfolded. I cannot stress enough how indiscriminate “missing” is. I never imagined 21 months after making that phone call to the police that my family and I would still be in the same position of limbo. Missing People are the only National charity for missing people and the families left behind. They have been very supportive in terms of publicity; however, they are restricted by their resources and are unable to provide an emotional support/counselling service for the families left behind. There is nowhere for family members of the missing to turn – we do not fit the criteria of other organisations as there is no proof to say whether our loved one is dead or alive. I have no words to describe my sheer desperation at times and the complete helplessness I feel in being unable as a mother, to find my child, whatever the circumstances maybe.

As I mentioned the last time I wrote, Val Nettles and I are organising a March for the Missing, with the invaluable assistance of a lady called Jill. In November we were in the embryonic stage of planning. The March is a month away and we have come a long way since November.

The aims of the March are to;

• To highlight the extent of missing people in the UK and UK citizens missing overseas.
• To lobby the Government into providing funding for a support group for the families left behind.
• To lobby the Government in providing specialist officers within every force, who receive uniformed training when dealing with a family member who reports a missing loved one.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support my quest in trying to find out what has happened to Luke.
Please, if you have any information that may lead to Luke being found, contact Suffolk Police on 01473 613500 or in confidence to Missing People on 0500 700 700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

findluke@hotmail.co.uk

www.findluke.com

www.myspace.com/findluke

www.missingpersons.org